Telemedicine News & Updates 2-14-2018

Top telehealth myths for hospital executives to know in 2018
During a February 26th webinar sponsored by American Well (@AmericanWell) and hosted by Becker’s Hospital Review (@BeckersHR), Roy Schoenberg, CEO and co-founder of American Well, will help separate fact from fiction and discuss top telehealth myths for health system executives to know in 2018.

American Telemedicine Association Applauds Landmark Expansion of Medicare Telehealth Coverage
President Trump recently signed into law a funding bill that includes the entirety of the Creating High-Quality Results and Outcomes Necessary to Improve Chronic (CHRONIC) Care Act. Originally introduced by Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mark Warner (D-VA) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA), with significant input from ATA and its members, the new law will expand telehealth coverage for accountable care organizations (ACOs), improve flexibility for telehealth use under Medicare Advantage plans, and allow nationwide reimbursement for tele stroke care and home dialysis treatment. The new law provides the largest boost to Federal telehealth coverage and payment in 17 years.

American Heart Association thanks Congress for passing stroke telemedicine and cardiac rehab legislation
The American Heart Association (@HeartNews) commended Congress for passing legislation that will greatly benefit the nation’s heart and stroke patients. The two-year budget deal, just approved by the House and the Senate, included provisions that expand access for telestroke and cardiac rehabilitation services, remove restrictions on Medicare therapy caps and help improve the health of patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Benefits by Design (BBD) Inc. Partners with Telemedicine Company GOeVisit to innovate access to medical care
Benefits By Design (BBD), a third party administrator that connects Canadian businesses with benefits and workplace solutions, has partnered with MyCare MedTech Inc., a Canadian telehealth company offering medical care through its platform, GOeVisit (@goevisit). GOeVisit provides virtual consultations with medical providers for minor illnesses 24/7 from coast to coast. The partnership offers BBD groups an innovative way to access medical care for minor illnesses without having to leave home or office and without experiencing long wait times.

In State News:

24/7 Kid Doc Announces Telemedicine Pilot Program with FL Day Care Centers
24/7 Kid Doc, Inc., a 24/7 Telemedicine company announced it is launching a pilot program with 2 of the nation’s oldest and highly rated day care centers, located in Jacksonville, FL. The program confirms the Company’s continuing evolution by introducing a second economic model generating revenues directly from families without the need to deal with insurance companies or Medicaid.

Feds Award More Than $270K to Improve Telehealth in Maine
The federal government is giving a Maine health organization more than $270,000 to improve access to telehealth in rural parts of the state. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is giving the money to MaineHealth, which includes Maine Medical Center, the largest hospital in the state. A spokeswoman for MaineHealth says the money will help improve communications between emergency departments and emergency medical services in rural areas.

NY grant to fund mental health telemedicine
New York state is getting a $500,000 federal grant to fund telemedicine projects. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand say the money granted to the state Office of Mental Health will help buy video conference equipment, tablets, and software. The two Democrats said the equipment will be used by clinics, schools, doctors’ offices, nursing homes, and prison facilities to provide and expand mental health care.

More health care workers want in on Kansas telemedicine
A proposed telemedicine bill has Kansas medical providers pushing for a new chance to make their services eligible for reimbursement. Under the House bill, introduced last month, licensed mental health care professionals and physicians can tend to faraway patients over phone or video calls. Insurers would have to cover their services as if they had seen patients in person. Groups representing chiropractors, occupational therapists, nurses and other health professionals made their case for inclusion before the House Health and Human Services Committee on Monday.

In rural Georgia, telemedicine provides new option for children’s mental health
In more than half of Georgia counties, parents can’t find nearby mental health services for their children. Given the education required to become a child psychiatrist or psychologist in Georgia and the economic facts of less-populated areas, the demand for child mental health care in rural Georgia won’t be met on the ground any time soon. So, instead, the state is proposing to bring children in need and health care professionals together another way: telemedicine.

Posts by Category

Archives

Contact Us

About RCM Answers

RCM Answers is a community network site dedicated to educating healthcare providers and other stakeholders on issues impacting revenue cycle management. The site is part of Answers Media Network.
To learn more about this site or any of our affiliated sites, contact us at: contact@answersmedianetwork.com

About Our Sponsor

Waystar is the combination of Navicure and ZirMed, the two top-rated providers of revenue cycle technologies. Waystar simplifies and unifies the healthcare revenue cycle with innovative technology that allows clients to collect more with less cost and less stress, so they can focus on their goals, patients, and communities. The combined company supports more than 400,000 providers, hospitals, health systems and ambulatory services organizations and partners with the leading EHR and practice management solution providers. For more information, visit www.ZirMed.com.